It wasn’t the most convincing win, but Hidden Motive did enough to get the verdict in the opening race at Randwick, setting himself on a path towards a Group One goal next season.
The $1.65 betting sites favourite notched his second success from five starts with a deceptive nose victory over the flying Kujenga ($81) in Saturday’s Precise Air Handicap (1100m) with Matima ($3.80) close-up in third, another long head away.
Jockey Ash Morgan said there was plenty of merit in the two-year-old’s performance despite the skinny margin after he was revved up in the lead by rival Dubbo Boy.
“Probably that first ten or fifteen metres he was a little switched off, but I let him roll up, then that horse came to him and we just fired each other up a little bit,” Morgan said.
“It was a really good win. I know it was a very small margin but he was entitled to get beaten.”
With trainer Nathan Doyle in Brisbane to oversee the Queensland Oaks bid of Churchill’s Choice, part-owner Sean Driver of Kurrinda Bloodstock represented connections and confirmed Hidden Motive would now head to the paddock.
The stable has a healthy regard for the colt and are keen to aim him towards the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in the spring.
“He’s a four to five-lengths better horse than what we saw today,” Driver said.
“The big aim is the Coolmore (Stud Stakes). He will have two weeks off but as you can see he was fourth-up today and he’s still a big, burly looking colt so he will be on a strict diet.
“Wait until you see him on top of the ground. At home, what he’s shown us, he is absolutely electric.”
A son of Capitalist, Hidden Motive was picked up for $120,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale after initially being passed in for $200,000
Driver said the youngster had a few ìssues but he was prepared to back Doyle’s skill as a trainer to help get him to the track.
“He had moderate sesamoiditis but Nathan is such a good trainer and I was confident he would manage the colt,” Driver said.
“As it turned out he was in the first two-year-old race of the season. He’s far better than what he showed today.
“He over-raced, he got pestered in front and did a bit of work there. He will improve a lot.”
Doyle and Morgan combined for a race-to-race double 35 minutes later when Hellfire Express took out the Midway Handicap (1500m).
